Road deaths drop in Wales as new data reveals the nation's safest and most dangerous counties

In Powys there were 16 deaths in 2012 compared to zero in Ceredigion and the number of road deaths in Wales falls 23% year on year

In Powys, there were 16 deaths in 2012, by far the highest figure in Wales

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Roads in Ceredigion and Torfaen have today emerged as the safest and Powys as the most dangerous in Wales, according to latest accident casualty figures.

The statistics published by the Department for Transport show that overall road deaths in the UK fell by 8% on 2011 figures to 1,754 in 2012.

In Wales in 2012, there was a much bigger 23% fall in road deaths on the previous year – from 121 in 2011 to 93 in 2012, a fall of 28.

In Powys, there were 16 deaths in 2012, by far the highest figure in Wales.

In Ceredigion there were no fatalities in 2012, with 33 serious injuries.

And in Torfaen there were two deaths in 2012, and seven serious injuries.

Some of the biggest reductions in the numbers of killed/seriously injured in road accidents across the UK were in Wales with Bridgend (down 46.4%), Ceredigion (down 45.0%), Monmouthshire (down 43.5%) and Torfaen (down 40%) leading the way. Then comes Cardiff (down 34.9%), Swansea (down 33.8%) Blaenau Gwent (down 29.4%) and Flintshire (down 29.4%)

In terms of deaths/serious injuries per 10,000 population, Torfaen emerged as the safest place in Britain other than the Scilly Isles, where no one was killed or seriously injured.

And, despite its busy streets, Cardiff was the UK’s fourth safest place (1.62 killed or seriously injured per 10,000 people) making it by far the safest of any major town or city, and three times safer than Liverpool.

Green = no deaths at all; the deeper the red, the more deaths

Explaining its high death rate, a spokesman for Powys county council said: “Motorcyclists have been identified as the most vulnerable road user group in the county. As we have the largest road network in Wales, around 3,400 miles, we attract motorcyclists in particular who want to use our roads.

“Between 2007 and 2011 there were 180 motorcyclists killed or seriously injured in Powys but only 35 of them came from the county.

“We are very conscious that motorcyclists come here to use the roads and we have a number of safety initiatives. These include Biker Down, a three-hour workshop, conducted in partnership with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, which gives advice and information on what to do at the scene of a collision, including first aid and helmet removal.”

Powys also has signs warning motorcyclists to slow down and has stickers on the back of road signs giving exact co-ordinates so emergency services can be directed to the scene of an accident easily.

While there was an overall fall in deaths and serious injuries, there was a 10% rise across the UK in deaths involving cyclists, numbers killed rising from 107 in 2011 to 118 in 2012.

Matt Hemsley, policy advisor at transport charity Sustrans Cymru, which encourages cycling, said: “Every death on our roads is needless and avoidable and to see an increase in deaths among some of the most vulnerable road users needs to spur government at all levels into action.

“Getting more people cycling in Wales will cut congestion and help us become a healthier nation.

“The Welsh Government is right to be pursuing the Active Travel Bill, which has the potential to provide more safe spaces for people to cycle.

“For too long cycling has been seen as an afterthought, if at all, with cyclists regularly forced into conflict with motor vehicles, especially at junctions.

“The challenge for the Bill is to ensure the new routes created are of the highest standard.

“Spending should also be prioritised to make our existing roads safer for cycling, fixing potholes, re-designing junctions and increasing the number of 20mph limits in communities across Wales – all actions which will make cycling safer for everyone.”

Head of road safety for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), Kevin Clinton said: “Even though road deaths in 2012 were at their lowest level since records began, we need to redouble our efforts to make sure that cyclist deaths and injuries are reduced as the popularity of cycling increases.”

AA president Edmund King said car technology like braking sensors, crumple zones and airbags had “dramatically” improved car safety for drivers and pedestrians.

But he added: “High fuel prices mean motorists are also diving less. So fewer cars on the road mean fewer accidents.”

A Ceredigion county council spokeswoman said: “As the local highway authority, the council gives road safety the highest possible priority within the resources available.”